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To Sow Or Not
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Running head: TO SOW OR NOT
To Sow or Not to Sow: Dilemmas in Creating New Rights in Food
Srividhya Ragavan
University of Oklahoma
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Abstract
This paper examines the obligations in TRIPS with respect to introducing plant breeders’
rights (PBRs) in developing and least developed nations. Furthermore, the article examines the
effect of introducing plant variety protection in the context of other policies that impact
agriculture. Without addressing directly whether protection of PBRs is justified, this paper makes
two arguments. First, the flexibility embedded in Article 27.3 of TRIPS to adopt sui generis
systems of protecting PBRs will be defeated if UPOV is deemed to be either a mandatory
requirement or if UPOV establishes the minimum standards for a sui generis PBRs system
because UPOV is an ineffective mechanism for protecting plant varieties. Second,
notwithstanding UPOV, agricultural subsidies will offset any benefits likely to flow to nations
introducing PBRs. The effect of agricultural subsidies can be detrimental to the prevailing
economic conditions in nations that newly introduce plant variety protection. The immense
shortage of food in some developing nations creates the need to be cautious before introducing
any mechanism that may upset the status quo. The paper concludes that for developing nations to
accrue meaningful benefits, reforms in agricultural subsidies should precede introduction of
PBRs. Developing nations, considering the 2005 deadline for TRIPS compliance, should seek an
extension of the transitional period for compliance with the plant variety protection requirement
under Article 27.3 until completion of the negotiations of the Cancun issues on agriculture.
INTRODUCTION
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The Uruguay Round1 is generally identified as an instrument that pressured the
developing world into adopting a trade regime by setting a deadline under the TRIPS
agreement.2 Agricultural issues, however, have required the developed world to introduce new
reforms and to accommodate international trade (The Cancun Challenge, 2003). The lavish
support developed nations provide for farmers results in depriving a fair market to their
counterparts in developing nations. Such deprivation affects the economies of developing nations
(Napoleon's Bittersweet Legacy, 2003). The commitment developed countries have displayed to
ensuring worldwide patenting in pharmaceuticals has led to the assumption that the rationale of
the developing world’s arguments with respect to eliminating agricultural support in the form of
subsidies would be well received. Instead, the developed nations have shifted attention from
agricultural subsidy reforms to Article 27 of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Leaving agricultural subsidy issues to the important
context of the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AOA, 1994), developed
countries have argued that flexibilities for plant breeders rights (PBRs) in Article 27.3 of TRIPS
require either patenting plant varieties or embracing the sui generis system in UPOV (1991).
This paper is unique in examining the obligations in TRIPS in the context of other issues
that impact agriculture, particularly subsidies. Thus, after detailing a background of plant variety
protection, Part I outlines the obligations in TRIPS with respect to introducing plant breeders’
rights (PBRs) in the developing and least developed nations (hereinafter, developing nations).
Parts II and III of the paper address two distinct but related issues. Part II establishes that UPOV
1
The term refers to multilateral negotiations launched in Uruguay, which, in 1994 established the WTO to
administer the set of negotiated agreements.
2
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement
Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex I.C., LEGAL INSTRUMENTS—RESULTS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND
vol. 31, 33 I.L.M. 81 (1994) [hereinafter TRIPS].
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is not the “effective” sui generis mechanism TRIPS contemplates for protecting plant varieties
because: a) the relevant history clarifies that TRIPS does not designate UPOV as the sui generis
system; and b) UPOV is an ineffective mechanism for protecting plant varieties. UPOV’s
inefficiency is exemplified by the diluted eligibility requirement for protection, an exaggerated
scope of protection and limited restrictions on the rights of the owner. Thus, Part II concludes
that the flexibility to adopt sui generis systems of protecting PBRs embedded in Article 27.3 of
TRIPS will be defeated if UPOV is deemed either to be a mandatory requirement or the
minimum standards for establishing a sui generis PBRs system.
Part III examines whether rewarding creativity in plant breeding by introducing plant
variety protection, whether UPOV based or otherwise, would achieve its objective given that
agricultural subsidies have foreclosed the international commodity market. This part argues that
agricultural subsidies will offset any benefits likely to flow to nations introducing PBRs. Instead,
the effect of agricultural subsidies can be detrimental to the economies of countries that newly
introduce plant variety protection. In order for developing nations to accrue meaningful benefits,
reforms in agricultural subsidies should precede introduction of PBRs. The immense food
shortage in some developing nations creates the need to be cautious before introducing any
mechanism that potentially upsets the status quo.
Hence, developing nations should push for reforms in agricultural subsidies as a
precondition to fulfilling their obligations relating to protection of plant varieties under Article
27.3 of TRIPS. Considering the 2005 deadline for TRIPS compliance, developing nations should
seek an extension of the transitional period for compliance with the plant variety protection
requirement under Article 27.3 until resolution of the agricultural subsidies issue.
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I. Background of TRIPS Obligations
The following part sets the background for introducing PBRs. It outlines the developing
nations’ concerns in the context of PBRs’ potential benefits. And it discusses members’
obligations and the flexibilities in Article 27.3 of TRIPS with respect to introducing PBRs.
A) Potential Benefits of PBRs:
The introduction of PBRs was meant to reduce one of the barriers to international trade in
agriculture by opening up developing country markets to hybrids. PBRs, by increasing
agricultural investments, can result in high-yielding, newer varieties of hybrid or genetically
modified plant varieties, otherwise generally unavailable in developing nations. Hybrid varieties
have the capacity to eliminate traditional deficiencies in agriculture that induce an element of
unpredictability in farming by introducing traits for pest resistance, weather resistance, and
improved yield cycle. The advantages for the farmers are compounded when the higher yield per
acre of the produce is combined with hybrid traits. Such improved varieties of produce can
increase the marketability of the yield thus, benefiting the farmers. Ultimately, consumers may
benefit from the resulting varietal diversity of crops.
Viewed in the context of the developing world’s lack of access to sufficient food, the
potential benefits of PBRs to increase food production and alleviate hunger cannot be discounted
(Pinstrup-Andersen & Pandya-Lorch, 2000). Malnutrition causes approximately six million
deaths of children less than five years of age every year in developing countries (The Silent
Emergency, 1998). Additionally, micro-nutrient deficiencies (especially vitamin A, iodine and
iron) are widespread in developing nations (The Silent Emergency, 1998). Thus, between
maintaining the status quo and introducing PBRs, the latter may enable access to food in
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developing countries provided the risks are appropriately allocated (Transgenic Plants & World,
2000).
Despite the benefits, introducing plant variety protection was one of the most debated
items in the TRIPS agreement. As a mark of the debate, the countries involved specifically slated
Article 27.3 for review after five years (in 1999) from the enforcement of the agreement (in
1994). During the TRIPS negotiations, the United States encouraged patent protection of plants
(GATT Secretariat, 1990). Japan along with the United States, opined that plant variety
protection was indispensable for encouraging new technological solutions in agriculture (WTO
Council for TRIPS, 2002). Developments in genetic technology accentuated the need to reward
creative plant breeding (WTO Council for TRIPS, 2002). The European Union, however, argued
that plant varieties should be excluded from patent protection (GATT Secretariat, Mar. 29, 1990
& May 14, 1990). Developing nations supported the European position on the basis that plant
variety protection would detrimentally affect national goals of poverty and hunger eradication
(GATT Secretariat, Mar. 29, 1990 & May 14, 1990).
B) Concerns of Developing Nations:
Developing nations underscored several factors necessitating a national regime for plant
variety protection rather than adopting a system similar to the protection prevalent in developed
nations. First, in developing nations agriculture has a close nexus to the national economy.
Compared to developed nations, the agricultural population is higher in developing nations. For
example, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates the agricultural population for
the year 2000 in developed nations at 99,752,000 against a population of 2,473,704,000 in
developing nations and 467,339,000 in least developed nations (Agricultural Data, 2004).
Agriculture employs over 70 percent of the labor force in low-income countries, 30 percent in
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middle-income countries and only 4 percent in high-income countries.3 Thus, agriculture remains
the main source of income for the general population in low-income countries. The augmented
agricultural population in developing countries increases the economy’s dependency on
agriculture. Between 1990 and 1996, for example, the agricultural contribution proportion of the
GDP was on average 34 percent for low income countries as compared to 8 percent for upper
middle income countries, and 1.5 percent for the high income countries of the Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (Negotiations on WTO Agreement, 2001).
Economic surveys from Kenya demonstrate the nexus between agriculture and the national
economy; in 1993-94, the GDP and agricultural growth in Kenya was, 3.0% and 2.8%
respectively; 4.6% and 4.4% in 1995-96; and in 1997-98, 1.8% and 1.5% respectively (N'gera,
2003). The economic dependence differentiates the agricultural sectors of developing nations
from that of the developed nations. The differences include smaller land holdings and labor
intensive agricultural practices (Negotiations on WTO Agreement, 2001). For example, a
majority of farmers in countries like India practice subsistence land farming, and only marginally
participate in international trade. The distinguishing features of agriculture and its impact on
their economies, developing nations opine, necessitates prioritization of national goals when
introducing PBRs.
Second, developing nations are skeptical of the inevitable process of privatization that
results from plant variety protection. In advocating PBRs, the TRIPS objective is to increase
innovation in plant breeding through private investments. Developed nations, particularly the
United States and Japan, outline PBRs’ ability to increase private R & D investments that can
3
UNCTAD 1999 'Examining Trade in the Agricultural Sector, with A View to Expanding the Agricultural Exports
of the Developing Countries, and to Assisting them in Better Understanding the Issues at Stake in the Upcoming
Agricultural Negotiations', TD/B/Com.l/EM.8/2, 23 February 1999.
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lead to improved varietal diversity. Developed nations argue that increased research in
agriculture can benefit the food shortage issues of developing nations. Hence, these nations tout
PBRs’ ability to improve agricultural production. Developing nations, however, outline a range
of issues that can emanate from privatization. These issues range from social and economic
factors to the impact of privatization on biodiversity. In particular, developing nations reflect the
following concerns:
i) PBRs by themselves will not necessarily increase investments in food.
Economic
analysis like the Butler and Marion report concede that the privatization from introducing PBRs
cannot singularly trigger an increased R & D investment (Butler & Marion, 1985). Other studies
determine that R & D investments in agriculture are dependent on factors extraneous to breeding
like profitability of crops, market size and capital intensiveness. For example, the PKI – a
research database – outlines an increase in R&D expenditures of wheat and soybean from 5%
and 1% respectively in 1965 to 10% in 1979 (Perrin, Ihnen, & Kunnings, 1983). The database,
however, attributes the increased investment for wheat and soybean by 29% and 89%
respectively to the fragility of the soybean germ which makes it impossible for farmers to reuse
the seeds (Butler & Marion, 1985). Moreover, on the demand side, soybean occupies an
important, if not central, position in the “power farming” techno-economic base of US
agriculture (Butler & Marion, 1985). Thus, independent of other factors like fluctuation of
supply and demand (e.g. changing acreage, increasing crop profitability), improvements in
breeding techniques, use of computer-based systems for information processing and monitoring,
studies are inconclusive as to whether PBRs alone can contribute to agricultural investments
(Butler & Marion, 1985). Studies like the Dwijen Report posit that PBRs’ dependence on
extraneous factors to improve investments strengthens existing private market players with no
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benefit for new entrants (Rangnekar, 2000). Developed nations counter argue, using the
increased soy bean investment as an example, that any equivalent or proportional investment in
developing nations on food, irrespective of the reasons, would be beneficial.
ii) Modernization of agriculture will affect welfare activities of the state. Private
investments from PBRs will inevitably lead to modernizing agriculture. While acknowledging its
benefits, developing nations express concern that modernization of agriculture will affect small
scale farmers by widening the gap between the rich and the poor. Consequently, such
modernization will result in more welfare issues. Hence, developing nations primarily
underscore that internationally harmonized PBRs regimes should incorporate flexibilities to
balance local welfare issues. Most developing countries already face welfare issues in scales
currently unknown in the developed world. Moreover, the differences in agriculture between the
developed and developing world result in these issues being unique to the latter. For example,
the introduction of Green Revolution, a movement to increase the yield per acre of certain crops
like rice and wheat, fulfilled the promise of high yielding varieties. It resulted, however in other
social issues for developing nations. Studies conducted after the Green Revolution indicate that
the landlords benefited more than the peasants, leading to social tensions (Brush, 2001).
Furthermore, small-scale farms suffered a variety of economic and social woes including lower
wages, displacement from the land, loss of employment, and higher rents (Brush, 2001). The
studies reflected a bias in the diffusion of improved varieties, which resulted in huge benefits to
the large-scale farmers and meager benefits to the small-scale farmers (Brush, 2001).
Consequently, small-scale farmers received a disproportionately small share of the benefits from
the new technology. The possible negative social influence from Green Revolution was unknown
before introduction because of the lack of nation-specific studies in the developing world.
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Several nations propound the same or similar concerns regarding introducing PBRs. Generally,
PBRs’ proponents assume or assert that developing nations will benefit simply because
developed nations have benefited. Developing countries’ argument at the WTO emphasized that
the lack of specific studies denied them the benefit of being proactively equipped to tackle issues
that may result from introducing PBRs.
iii) Resulting private sector investment from PBRs will cater to consumer oriented foods
rather than foods for the poorer sections of the population. Currently, developing nations
engage in innovative plant breeding through government-funded public institutions. The publicfunded research activities concentrate on staple food crops rather than on consumer oriented
research to achieve national goals like access to food, and poverty eradication. Private investors,
however, will not benefit from PBRs unless research is directed towards crops with greatest
profit potential. Hence, private R & D investments would cater to consumer foods rather than
staple foods. Developing nations emphasize that private support could unduly influence a public
R&D agenda. A shift in the goals of agricultural research may not cater to the welfare necessities
of developing nations, even if agricultural production increases. Specifically, public research
programs could be disproportionately leveraged toward private industry goals, rather than
towards broader interests of farmers or consumers (Ingram & Rubenstein, 1999). Ingram and
Rubenstein highlight a study of barley research conducted by Ulrich, Furtan and Schmitz (1986)
in Canada, which found that when brewing and malting companies increased their financial
support of public barley research, the emphasis was on improving malting quality rather than
increasing yields (Ingram & Rubenstein, 1999). Higher yielding varieties, according to the study,
would have benefited livestock producers (Ingram & Rubenstein, 1999). While both the public
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and private sectors gained from the joint research, the study concluded that the social cost of
private assistance was high (Ingram & Rubenstein, 1999).
iv) Effect on biodiversity. The concentration of the world’s biodiversity is in developing
nations. The nine major natural diversity centers are Ethiopia, the Mediterranean area, Asia
Minor, Central Asia, India-Burma, China, Siam-Malaysia-Java, Mexico-Guatemala, and PeruEcuador-Bolivia (Starr & Hardy, 1993). Private investments in biodiversity rich nations has led
to bioprospecting, which involves screening the biological diversity for commercially valuable
genetic and biochemical resources. Bioprospecting arguably results in commercializing access
for biodiversity, and thus creates an incentive for developing countries to preserve their flora and
fauna. Supporters of bioprospecting argue that it enhances biotechnology and agricultural
productivity. On the other hand, developing nations argue that biotechnology can lead to
monocultures divorced from "nature" which historically has destroyed biodiversity by resulting
in unintended consequences such as soil erosion (Horsch & Fraley, 1998). Developing nations,
while aware that aggressive private sector bioprospecting can deplete biodiversity resources, are
keen on capitalizing from the growth of the biotechnology industry that relies increasingly on
biodiversity. Hence these nations prefer flexibility to introduce a nation specific PBRs regime
that furthers their national agendas with reference to use of biodiversity materials.
C) Legal Obligations Under Article 27.3 Of TRIPS:
The WTO Secretariat document reviewing Article 27.3 (b) appreciates the differences in
member’s opinions on the PBRs issue. Consequently, Article 27.3 (b) of TRIPS provides that,
“[M]embers shall provide for the protection of plant varieties either by patents or by an effective
sui generis system or by any combination thereof.” Thus, the Article obligates members to
effectively protect plants without setting substantive standards for such protection. By leaving
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the term “plant variety” undefined, TRIPS implies effective protection of all plant varieties. The
effective protection can be made by any one of the regimes mentioned in Article 27.3 of TRIPS,
being patents, or a sui generis mechanism or a combination of both patents and the sui generis
mechanism (TRIPS, 1994, Article 27.3). TRIPS generally establishes minimum standards of
protection, but, vis-à-vis plant varieties, it merely requires countries to provide any one of the
three broad forms of the outlined protections. Thus, Article 27.3 is unique in not harmonizing the
plant variety regime. Harmonization requires a certain degree of uniformity that would be
impossible to achieve considering the flexibilities embedded in the Article. The highlight of
Article 27.3 of TRIPS is the flexibility which provides members the luxury of determining
appropriate national plant variety protection regimes. In doing so, Article 27.3 accommodates
national priorities in protecting plant varieties (Bodeker, 2003; Halewood, 1999). It enables
countries that question the assertions of developed nations on the benefits of PBRs or,
alternatively, the applicability of the studies conducted elsewhere to their national conditions, to
tailor a protection regime for plant varieties based on national requirements.
Further flexibility in the Article 27.3 language can be found in the use of the expression
“an effective sui generis” system (as opposed to “the effective”). The language allows nations to
determine the type of sui generis system to protect plants (Bodeker, 2003; Halewood, 1999).
Moreover, the sui generis option allows countries to promote innovative plant breeding while
preserving genetic biodiversity and traditional forms of farming. The TRIPS requirements for
plant variety protection would be satisfied if the national systems for plant variety protection
possess characteristics that generally apply for protecting real property (Council for TRIPS,
2002). Thus, TRIPS does not harmonize plant variety protection, but merely requires that one of
the Article’s broad forms of protection cover plant varieties.
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D) Constituents Of An Effective Sui Generis System
The following section examines the constituents of “an effective sui generis system” in
Article 27.3 of TRIPS (1994). TRIPS does not define the term “effective” although, Article 27.3
envisages an effective system for protecting plants (TRIPS, 1994). TRIPS uses the adjective
effective to signify an enhanced efficiency requirement in conjunction with the establishment of
rules and procedures of intellectual property rights. The expression effective serves as an
indicator of the strength required of the rules and procedures to achieve the stated objective.
Developed nations have generally opined that the efficiency of a system to protect plants is
determined from the sufficiency of protection (Council for TRIPS, 2002).
Furthermore, the Doha Declaration, which was signed on November 11, 2001, establishes
an objective based reading of all the articles in TRIPS. The Ministerial Declaration, in paragraph
19, details that in reviewing Article 27.3(b) on plant variety protection, “the TRIPS Council shall
be guided by the objectives and principles set out in Articles 7 and 8 of the TRIPS Agreement
and shall take fully into account the development dimension.” Similarly, the Declaration on
Public Health in Paragraph 5 (a) asserts that, “[i]n applying the customary rules of interpretation
of public international law, each provision of the TRIPS Agreement shall be read in the light of
the object and purpose of the Agreement as expressed, in particular, in its objectives and
principles” (Doha Declaration, 2001). Thus, in subjecting TRIPS to an objective based
interpretation, the Doha Declaration establishes “the right” of members to interpret the TRIPS
obligations in light of the public policy objectives in Articles 7 and 8. Article 33 of the Vienna
Convention, which requires that treatises be read in the light of their objectives and purposes,
further supports this interpretation of TRIPS, as advocated by the Doha Declaration (Vienna
Convention, 1969).
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The “Objectives” of TRIPS, as detailed in Article 7, provides that “protection and
enforcement of intellectual property rights should contribute … to a balance of rights and
obligations” of members in a manner conducive to “social and economic” welfare. The
principles under which the objectives of Article 7 work are discussed in Article 8. Entitled
Principles, Article 8 recognizes members’ right to adopt public health and public interest
measures, provided that such measures are consistent with the provisions of TRIPS. The
requirement in Article 7 that intellectual property mechanisms should contribute “to balancing
the rights and obligations of members,” read with the Doha Ministerial Declaration’s assertion on
the developmental dimension in Article 7 and 8 lends a national, instead of global, standard to
the TRIPS objectives. That is, Article 7 details that the objective of enforcing intellectual
property mechanisms is to balance individual member’s rights and obligations. National goals, as
opposed to global goals, characterize the objectives set forth in Article 7 of TRIPS. Considering
that the objectives of TRIPS are based on a national standard, the efficiency of a system
established under Article 7 cannot be judged on a global standard. The lack of global minimum
standards for plant variety protection furthers the view that effectiveness of a PBRs regime
cannot be determined on a global standard. Presumably, therefore, in light of Articles 7 and 8 of
TRIPS, the effectiveness of a PBRs regime will be judged by its ability to accommodate national
goals and will be based on national standards. Hence, PBRs regimes established under Article
27.3, when read with Articles 7 and 8, should be conducive to national social and economic
welfare.
The ability to identify and protect creativity in plant breeding, while at the same time
accommodating national goals, are the broad requirements of an effective PBRs regime under
Article 27.3 read with Articles 7 and 8 of TRIPS. When Article 27.3 is subject to an objective
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based interpretation under Article 7, it results in two distinct advantages by: a) increasing
flexibility for developing nations; and b) indirectly creating a national yardstick based on
Articles 7 and 8 of TRIPS to measure the efficiency of any PBR regime. Thus, developing
countries can weigh the benefits of PBRs in the context of their unique socio-economic issues to
accommodate public health or public interest exceptions. In doing so, developing countries can
establish a sui generis PBR regime that eliminates or reduces adverse welfare effects.
II. UPOV Is Not an “Effective” Sui Generis System
Developed nations acknowledge that Article 27.3 of TRIPS provides a choice between
patenting and a sui generis system for protecting plants. Developed nations, however, construe
UPOV as a minimum standard for establishing a sui generis system (Grain, 1999; UPOV
Position, 2000). This part, in two sections, discusses whether the reference to an effective sui
generis system in Article 27.3 of TRIPS is a reference to UPOV. First, it argues that historically
UPOV was never construed as the minimum standard under TRIPS. Moreover, construing
UPOV as the mandatory minimum standard defeats the purpose of flexibilities in Article 27.3 of
TRIPS. Second, it establishes that UPOV is not an effective sui generis system as required under
Article 27.3 of TRIPS considering the a) diluted eligibility requirements, b) exaggerated scope of
breeders’ rights, and c) inadequate restrictions on breeders’ rights.
A) UPOV & Article 27.3 of TRIPS:
Article 27.3 of TRIPS neither expressly nor impliedly refers to UPOV as the minimum
standard for establishing a sui generis mechanism. The Article language that members can
protect plants using an effective sui generis system rather than the sui generis system lends
credence to the argument that UPOV was not intended an the sui generis system in TRIPS.
Furthermore, when relying on other international treaties, TRIPS specifically refers to them such
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as the Paris and the Berne Conventions (TRIPS, 1994). In light of these specific treaty
references, there is arguably no reason for the TRIPS text to exclude reference to UPOV in
Article 27.3, especially if the negotiators had intended otherwise. The discussions in the WTO
Secretariat document highlight why UPOV was not specifically designated in TRIPS as the sui
generis system (Council for TRIPS, 2002). Switzerland and the United States asserted that the
limited geographic coverage of UPOV at the time of the TRIPS negotiations precluded specific
inclusion in Article 27.3(b) (Council for TRIPS, 2002). Members lacked the confidence that
UPOV would be widely adopted and hence refrained from specifically referring to it in Article
27.3. Considering that members were uncertain of UPOV’S wide adoption in the future, it is
doubtful that TRIPS envisaged the former as the minimum standard for a sui generis system.
Moreover, the WTO Review of Article 27.3 of 2002, reflects a lack of consensus among
members vis-à-vis the incorporation of UPOV (Council for TRIPS, 2002). For instance, therein
developed nations acknowledge the prevalence of sui generis systems other than UPOV and
agree to determine the effectiveness of such systems on a case by case basis (Council for TRIPS,
2002). Thus, it is unlikely that in 1993 TRIPS designated UPOV as the effective sui generis
system.
At the time TRIPS was negotiated, the 1978 text of UPOV was in force. This text of
UPOV specifically disallows “double patenting” or combining protection using patents with a sui
generis system (UPOV, 1978). Article 2(1) of the 1978 text of UPOV, read with the 1961 text of
the treaty, specifically prohibits double patenting by providing that:
“[E]ach Member State of the Union may recognize the right of the breeder provided for
in this Convention by the grant either of a special title of protection or of a patent.
Nevertheless, a member State of the Union whose national law admits of protection under
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both these forms may provide only one of them for one and the same botanical genus or
species.” (UPOV, 1978).
Article 27.3 of TRIPS, however, specifically provides for protection by combination of
both patents and a sui generis system. Thus, TRIPS does not prohibit the protection of the same
species by a combination of regimes. The United States Supreme Court, for example, specifically
allowed protection of the same species using a utility patent and a sui generis form of protection
in J.E.M AG Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-bred International, Inc. (1994). It is unlikely that TRIPS,
an agreement that allows overlapping protection, would refer to a treaty that specifically
prohibits such overlap (Bai, 1997). In response, critics point out that UPOV’s 1991 amendment
(before the TRIPS agreement was signed) eliminated the double patenting prohibition, and
thereby integrated UPOV with TRIPS. The history behind UPOV amendments, however,
indicates that the 1991 amendment resulted from a misinterpretation of the double patenting
prohibition clause. The drafters of the Convention on the Unification of Certain Points of
Substantive Law on Patents for Inventions, (Strasbourg Convention, 1963) misconstrued the
provisions of the 1978 UPOV as prohibiting plant patents (Bai, 1997). Following this, the
European Patent Convention excluded patenting of plants (Bai, 1997). Consequently, UPOV was
amended in 1991 to clarify that Contracting Parties should “grant and protect breeders' rights”
(UPOV, 1991). Thus, historically, the UPOV amendment was not intended to synchronize with
Article 27 of TRIPS.
The distinctive feature of Article 27.3 of TRIPS is its lack of minimum standards.
In light of the Article 27.3 flexibilities, treating UPOV as the mandatory standard defeats the
purpose of the TRIPS Article 27.3. Showcasing UPOV as the mandatory requirement deprives
members of the sui generis option in Article 27.3 of TRIPS. Such a construction violates the
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spirit of Article 27.3. The flexibilities of a sui generis system are meant to accommodate
national requirements. If UPOV is construed as the sole sui generis system, members will be
forced to adhere to a set of minimum standards. Reading a requirement of minimum standards
under Article 27.3 undermines the flexibility to protect plant varieties. To that extent such
standards indirectly force members to provide more extensive protection than required under the
TRIPS language. Any construction of Article 27.3 which mandates that members provide more
extensive protection than envisaged by the language violates Article 1 of TRIPS (1994).
B) UPOV Is Not An “Effective” Sui Generis System:
UPOV cannot be construed as the mandatory standards for a sui generis system because
it cannot meet the effectiveness requirement detailed under Article 27.3 of TRIPS. UPOV is
deficient in accommodating national goals since it does not balance the interests of breeders with
other interests vital to developing nations such as those of farmers. The deficiencies in UPOV are
found in: a) diluted standards for eligibility for protection; b) excessive scope of breeders’ rights;
and c) inadequate restrictions on breeders’ rights. In effect, UPOV preserves miniscule
improvements as breeders’ rights and grants rights disproportionate to the creativity in plant
breeding. The deficiencies of UPOV enable a breeder to appropriate from the public domain thus
harming the genetic diversity. Developing nations view genetic diversity as a vital part of their
social and economic structure. Developing countries should avoid these inherent deficiencies in
UPOV when establishing a sui generis system.
i) Eligibility for Protection. UPOV vests breeders’ rights on new, distinct, uniform and
stable varieties. Article 6 of UPOV deems a variety as “new”, provided that, “at the date of
filing of the application for a breeder’s right, propagating or harvested material of the variety has
not been sold or otherwise disposed of to others, by or with the consent of the breeder, for
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purposes of exploitation of the variety” (UPOV, 1991). Thus, novelty is determined solely by
prior sale or disposal of the application material. Public knowledge is not a bar to determine
whether a variety is new. Similarly, plants already cultivated or discussed in reference
collections or in publications will qualify as new varieties. To that extent, varieties already
known may still become eligible for protection as new.
A variety fulfilling the novelty test should still be distinctive, stable and uniform to be
eligible for protection. Under Article 7 of UPOV, a variety is distinct if “it is clearly
distinguishable from any other variety whose existence is a matter of common knowledge at the
time of filing the application.” (UPOV, 1991). Distinctiveness is achieved provided the
application material is distinguishable from a “variety whose existence is a matter of common
knowledge” at the time of the application (UPOV, 1991). Under Article 14 of UPOV, a variety is
“a matter of common knowledge” if it has been the subject “of an application for the granting of
a breeder’s right” or “has been entered in the official register of varieties, in any country” (1991).
Thus, the only feature required to qualify as distinctive is the ability to distinguish from another
variety either entered in the official register, or for which an application has been made.
Interestingly, application material that is well-known or is itself a matter of common
knowledge (including by prior registry or application for PBRs) can pass the test of
distinctiveness provided the material is distinguishable from another that is a matter of common
knowledge. Hence, common knowledge of the application material does not affect the
distinctiveness of the variety. That the application material is indistinguishable from materials
commonly cultivated or is well known is not a bar to distinctiveness. Both commonly cultivated
and well-known varieties (even if commonly known) that are indistinguishable from other well
known species will continue to qualify as “distinct” so long as close cousins of the variety have
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not themselves become commonly known by registry or by application for breeders’ rights.
Thus, the distinctiveness requirement in UPOV is a highly diluted version of the novelty and
non-obviousness requirements of the utility patent system. This results in allowing both wellknown varieties and those trivially different from them to be considered distinct. In essence, a
commonly cultivated and well-known variety can be novel and distinct under UPOV, provided it
has not been sold or disposed of, and is distinguishable from other varieties that appear in a
registry or for which an application has been made.
Assuming Berry A is a commonly cultivated plant in remote parts of the world, Berry A
can be deemed “new” provided it has never been disposed of or sold. That Berry A is commonly
exchanged between people will not bar novelty. For example, the Tulsi plant is a commonly
found herb in India. Owing to its abundant availability, the Tulsi plant is rarely sold although it is
commonly found in most backyards. Similarly, because of social faiths and beliefs, Tulsi plants
and leaves are commonly exchanged between people. Under UPOV, Tulsi will qualify as new.
Berry A will also qualify as “distinctive” under Article 7 of UPOV provided it is
distinguishable from a variety for which an application has been made or has been entered in the
official register. Berry A will pass the distinctiveness test even if it is indistinguishable from a
commonly cultivated and well known Berry B, provided no application for protection or registry
has been made for Berry B. In essence, common knowledge, use, or even cultivation of the
application material is not an impediment for qualifying as “new” and “distinct” under UPOV.
That is, the current definition of distinctiveness in UPOV enables breeders to protect known
varieties of plants that farmers have cultivated or used for a long time. The low standard for
distinctiveness in UPOV allows miniscule innovations in plants to be elevated to the level of an
invention. Protecting miniscule innovations results in unjust enrichment to the breeders and
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depletes prior art, which in this case is biodiversity material. Breeders may, in essence,
monopolize genetic material from the public domain and protect such material as a premium
innovation.
Attempts to monopolize well-known varieties and the resulting deprivation from the
public domain are already rampant. The patenting of Ayahuasca, a brew known as the yage or
Yaje in Colombia, Equador, Peru and Brazil, prepared from a plant called the vine banisteriopsis
caapi serves as an example. US Plant Patent No. 5751 and 5752 (issued on June 17, 1986) on
Ayahuasca to Loren Miller of the International Plant Medicine Corporation was revoked in 1999
(Long & D’Amato, 2000). Additional examples like the patents on turmeric and neem, both used
in India for several years, substantiate the need to plug loopholes that enable protecting wellknown varieties. These loopholes in UPOV showcase its inability to appropriately identify
creativity in plant breeding. The loopholes skew UPOV towards breeders to the detriment of
farmers’ rights, which are of tantamount importance for developing nations. That some or all of
these patents may be revoked on appeal does not negate UPOV’s highly diluted eligibility
requirements. Furthermore, the transaction costs and economic resources required from already
poor economies for the appeal processes to revoke protection of biodiversity materials can be
avoided if UPOV’s eligibility requirements are strengthened. Thus, the loopholes demonstrate
UPOV’s inability to be an effective sui generis system as required under TRIPS.
ii. CBD & Loss of Genetic Diversity: The possibility for breeders to misappropriate
genetic material is exemplified when UPOV is read with the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD). Article 1 of the CBD, when read with Article 15, mandates access to genetic resources
(1993). Thus, the CBD ensures that all genetic resources remain accessible (CBD, 1993). Under
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UPOV, such genetic resources may be construed as “new” despite previous cultivation until an
application is made to obtain breeders’ rights.
Assume for example, that Plum C, a shrub found in abundance in remote parts of Africa,
is used to cure common cold. Unlike in developed nations, plants available in abundance are
rarely subjects of sale in developing nations. For example, the neem tree, which is commonly
available in India, is used for its benefits including its medicinal traits. But, the neem tree,
sapling, seeds, or leaves are never sold. Each of these possesses commonly known and used
medicinal traits. Thus, Plum C may be known and used in Africa for several years. It is unlikely
that Africans would protect Plum C due to the following factors: a) socioeconomic factors, b)
lack of availability of such protection, and c) lack of awareness of its benefits. The medicinal
trait of Plum C would make it very attractive to breeders and researchers in developed nations.
Already corporations like Shaman and Merck, for example, are regularly engaged in plants with
medicinal traits. A system based on UPOV would enable a breeder accessing genetic material
like Plum C to treat it as a new and distinct variety assuming its close cousins have not been a
subject for protection. Even assuming that the Plum itself is not treated as new, UPOV will
enable a breeder to protect an indistinguishable derivation of Plum C by making a technically
distinct but non-obvious change. In essence, CBD enables unlimited access to genetic resources
like Plum C while UPOV enables protection of either Plum C itself or an indistinguishable
variation of the Plum, under specific circumstances. When working alongside the CBD, the
extensive protection envisaged in UPOV can undermine a nation’s genetic diversity.
iii) Scope of protection. Despite the seemingly diluted definition for determining both
novelty and distinctiveness, the scope of breeders’ rights, including the term, remains equivalent
to that of intellectual property rights. Breeders’ rights extend by virtue of Article 14 (5)(a) to the
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protected variety and “varieties not clearly distinguishable” from the protected variety (UPOV,
1991). Article 14 (5)(b), however, extends breeders’ rights to “essentially derived varieties.”
“Essentially derived varieties” are defined as those that are predominantly derived either from
the initial variety, or from another variety that is predominantly derived from the initial variety
and is clearly distinguishable from the initial variety. In essence, breeders’ rights extend to
clearly indistinguishable varieties and also to clearly distinguishable varieties derived from the
initial variety. That is, the breeders’ rights over Fruit X includes rights over Fruit X itself, and
over clearly indistinguishable varieties or derivatives of Fruit X. Assume for example that
Farmer F, using the Article 15 personal experimentation exception, derives Fruit Y from Fruit X,
where Fruit Y is clearly indistinguishable from Fruit X. Then, the Farmer derives another
variety, Pea Z, from Fruit Y. Pea Z is clearly distinguishable from both Fruit X and Fruit Y. The
breeders’ rights under UPOV extend to the clearly indistinguishable varieties like Fruit Y
provided it is derived from Fruit X. Breeders’ rights also extend to the variety like Pea Z that is
clearly distinguishable varieties from Fruit Y and Fruit X. Thus, a breeder can claim rights of
other farmers’ or breeders’ experimented varieties even if such varieties are clearly
distinguishable from the protected variety (UPOV, 1991, Article 14). Considering that plants
essentially derived from genetic materials are protected as hybrids, it is ironic that plants
essentially derived from the hybrids are not entitled to new protection, even if distinguishable
from the initial variety, but instead fall within the scope of breeders’ rights.
The lack of appropriate limitations under UPOV further broadens the scope of breeders’
rights. Article 15 discusses two types of exceptions – compulsory and optional (UPOV, 1991).
The compulsory exceptions include acts done for private, non-commercial purposes and
experimental purposes. Breeders can override even these limited exceptions by conditioning
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initial access to the protected variety on forfeiture of these rights. Article 14 (5), under which
varieties “essentially derived” either from the initial variety or its first generation falls within the
scope of breeders’ rights, limits the scope of the experimental purposes exception (UPOV, 1991).
Thus, acts done for experimental purposes do not amount to infringement. However, if the acts
done for experimental purposes on a protected variety result in another variety, the breeder gets
the rights over that variety even if it is clearly distinguishable from the initial variety. The
exceptions, meant for private and non-commercial use, have minimal benefits. Farmers generally
plant protected varieties to commercially capitalize on the higher yield. Considering this, farmers
benefits will be marginal from the yield if it cannot commercialized. In the context of
agricultural subsidies, part III of the paper argues that the operation of the exception becomes
inconsequential to farmers.
The broad scope of breeders’ rights in UPOV has resulted in a correspondingly narrow
scope of farmers’ rights. For example, UPOV 1978 did not embody detailed limitations on
farmers’ rights. UPOV 1991, however, limits farmers’ rights to save seeds for replanting only
within their own holdings. Furthermore, Article 15 limits the governments’ ability to provide for
farmers’ rights. Governments can provide farmer’s rights "within reasonable limits and subject
to the safeguarding of the breeder's legitimate interests.” (UPOV, 1991, Article 15(2)). The
Article 15 language in UPOV provides primacy to breeders’ rights and derogates farmers’ rights.
Article 15’s limited scope prevents governments from making concessions to farmers towards
balancing welfare with trade. Such a balance is especially important for farmers in the third
world who belong to the poorer societal classes. The public interest exception detailed in Article
17 is the only limitation on breeders’ rights (UPOV, 1991). It is unclear whether a welfare issue
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arising from the effect on farmers alone could qualify as a public interest requirement, even
though a substantial portion of the population may be dependant on agriculture.
Similarly, breeders’ rights under UPOV, 1978 extended to “production for commercial
marketing, offering for sale, marketing; extensive protection may be agreed” (Article 5(1)).
UPOV 1978 also states that “[a]uthorisation by the breeder shall not be required either for the
utilisation of the variety as an initial source of variation for the purpose of creating other varieties
or for the marketing of such varieties" (Article 5(3)). Correspondingly, however, UPOV 1991
extends breeders’ rights to “harvested material, produce from the harvested material, essentially
derived varieties, varieties not clearly distinguishable, [and] varieties that need repeated use of
the protected variety.”
Ultimately, UPOV treats farmers’ rights as negotiated exemptions of breeders’ rights
(Pegu, 2002). The increasing scope showcases UPOV’s inability to balance breeders’ rights with
farmers’ rights. Since developing nations house more small farmers and peasants, the
inefficiency from a system like UPOV that does not balance breeders’ rights with farmers’ rights
can result in increased welfare issues, thereby impeding countries from attaining social and
economic goals.
The only UPOV restriction on breeders’ rights exists under the public interest exception
of Article 17 (UPOV, 1991). The term “public interest” is undefined. UPOV does not indicate
what the term is and who determines when “public interest” is affected. Reading the terms of the
Doha declaration into “public interest” by virtue of TRIPS may enable countries to determine
when they may invoke the exception. Even so, it is in the interest of the member states to either
define or appropriately clarify constituents of the public interest exception. Critics may argue
that, should the necessity to define public interest arise in the future, countries have the right to
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take the issue to the WTO Panel for settlement of disputes for failure to appropriately implement
Article 27.3. The necessity to resolve disputes in an international forum in an emergency is not
per se a demonstration of inefficiency. At the very minimum, however, clarity on the
constituents of the exception would help developing nations balance breeders’ rights with other
vital national interests. Moreover, leaving the definition of public interest to the predilections of
a WTO Panel is bound to create dissatisfaction among member states. If a public interest
emergency is at stake vis-à-vis food rights, a WTO panel may be ill-equipped to take over the
sovereign responsibility of deciding whether there is in fact such an emergency. A WTO Panel
may also be a grossly inadequate forum to supercede sovereign determination of “public
interest” emergency considering that abundance is the source of problems in developed nations
as compared to deprivation in developing nations. The task of the WTO Panel to appreciate and
understand the unique ramifications of national needs of a member state may be challenging.
Determining the limitations of breeders’ rights and defining “public interest” is important
to avoid the maladies developing nations previously faced with the pharmaceutical patent issue.
With respect to the debate on pharmaceutical patents, the term “national emergency,” in Article
31 of TRIPS, was left undefined. Article 31 of TRIPS provides for compulsory licensing of
pharmaceutical patents, “in the case of a national emergency, or, other circumstances of extreme
urgency or in cases of public non-commercial use” (TRIPS, 1994). When developing nations like
South Africa, Thailand and Brazil attempted to invoke the national emergency exception in
Article 31 of TRIPS, debate arose regarding interpretation of the term (TRIPS, 1994). Attempts
by developing nations to use the right to compulsorily license patents were met with resistance
(Marc, 2001). Developed nations argued that the level of threat to public health was not
necessarily a “national emergency” as contemplated under TRIPS (Marc, 2001 & Ford, 2000).
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Then, the road to the WTO to define “national emergency” proved to be time consuming and
expensive for developing nations. South Africa first requested a price reduction for
pharmaceuticals in 1996 (Cooper, McGinley, & Zimmerman, 2001). Five years later, in 2001,
the Doha Declaration attempted to clarify the rights of the developing nations under TRIPS
(Doha, 2001). Meanwhile, distinct suffering in terms of resources, human lives and national
health occurred in the countries involved. Most importantly, by the time the WTO recognized the
issues developing nations faced, the southern portion of Africa accounted for approximately
twenty-five million, or roughly 70 percent, of the world’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(hereinafter, HIV) infected patients (IIPI, 2000). In the face of a public interest situation, the time
and effort that would have to be invested to get a clarification of the exceptions from the WTO
may be better used to tackle the situation at hand. In the case of the dispute with pharmaceutical
patenting, the time taken to resolve the dispute itself proved to be a detriment. Resolving or
clarifying definitional ambiguity in international conventions increases the economic efficiency
of its functioning by saving time and other resources that would otherwise be invested. It is in the
interest of developing nations to avoid a similar situation in UPOV. The pharmaceutical patents
dispute exemplifies the need for term clarifications under UPOV for developing countries.
Importantly, the issue with the pharmaceutical dispute highlights that developing nations need to
be aware that under a much higher standard (national emergency standard) there was substantial
resistance to limitations on rights.
The difficulties the European Technical Board of Appeal, established under the European
Patent Convention, faced in interpreting the “morality” exception demonstrates the difficulties
that arise from introducing unclear exceptions to rights. In Plant Genetic Systems v. Greenpeace,
Ltd., (Greenpeace, 1995) the Technical Board of Appeal (Board) scrutinized the meaning of the
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morality exception to Article 53(a) of the European Patent Convention (EPC, 1975). In
discussing the term morality, the Board focused its analysis on “conventionally accepted
standards of conduct pertaining to European culture” (Greenpeace, 1995). There are, however,
no conventionally accepted European standards of conduct. Although EPC’s ruling on the
meaning of morality has little relevance to interpretation of the term “public interest” in UPOV,
it demonstrates the ambiguities that can arise from introducing unclear exceptions. The
subjectivity will almost always be detrimental to the interests of developing countries since they
are more likely to use the public interest exception. With UPOV, if developing nations use the
exception under Article 17 to limit breeders’ rights in public interest, a disagreement similar to
the pharmaceutical patent dispute may arise with respect to the definition of public interest.
There is no guarantee that the developed and the developing nations will necessarily have
consensus on what amounts to “public interest.”
III. Introducing Plant Breeders’ Rights will Not Reduce Trade Barriers in Agriculture
The following part argues that even if PBRs fulfill promised expectations, PBRs can
neither benefit the developing nations nor reduce distortions in international trade in goods as
long as agricultural subsidies foreclose the markets for the developing country produce. Instead,
the prevalence of subsidies will result in subjecting farmers to additional cost without any
benefits. The reduction of subsidies, which create the maximum international trade barriers in
agriculture, should precede the introduction of plant variety protection in order for developing
nations to derive any benefit from PBRs. Developing nations should, therefore, seek an extension
of the transitional period for compliance with the plant variety protection requirement under
Article 27.3 until resolution of the agricultural subsidies issue. Otherwise, PBRs introduction
will upset the status quo in developing nations.
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A) Trade Barriers in Agriculture:
In discussing PBRs, the WTO Review of Article 27.3 of TRIPS specifies that plant
variety protection is required to further the general objective of TRIPS, being reduction of
international trade barriers in agricultural commodities (Council for TRIPS, 2002). Notably,
UPOV endorses the TRIPS view that plant variety protection will positively affect international
trade barriers in agriculture. However, any benefit from introducing PBRs will operate alongside
other policies that impact agriculture. The biggest impact on agricultural commodities is felt
from trade barriers. Trade barriers refer to impediments to international trade from extraneous
factors. In agriculture, trade barriers refer to impediments affecting the agricultural commodities
market. Trade barriers artificially limit demand in a country and thus decrease potential sales in
that country by another country, or artificially limit the ability of one country to sell in its own or
another country. Two important barriers impact international trade in agricultural commodities:
(a) government restrictions, and (b) lack of plant variety protection.
i)Barriers from agricultural subsidies. Government restrictions on international trade are
imposed in forms such as taxes, duties, or subsidies. Subsidies form the most important barrier
to international trade in agriculture. Subsidies fall within the ambit of Article 1 of the WTO
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (Agreement on Subsidies, 1994).
Subsidies refer to the financial support governments provide to offset or balance the losses
farmers/traders suffer or, are likely to suffer in agricultural commodities. Generally, there are
several forms of government financial contributions. Governments may support the income of
the farmers. For example, the Government of Timbatu may agree to subsidize rice farmers up to
a minimum income of $5000 per annum from the sale of rice. The government subsidy
compensates the difference between expected income of $5000 and the actual income the farmer
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earns. Therefore, a farmer earning $1000 will be eligible for a subsidy of $4000 from the
government.
Alternately, government subsidies may support shortfalls in commodity prices. For
example, the Timbatu Government’s subsidy may compensate rice farmers up to $5 per unit.
The subsidy compensates the difference between the actual sale price per unit and the expected
sale price of $5. If the farmer sells rice at $1 per unit, then the government will compensate the
farmer with $4 for each unit sold. In the same note, the government may also pay the farmer $5
for each unit of unsold rice. In practice, the subsidies’ cushioning effect serves as an incentive
for farmers to sell below the general market price.
Governments may also specifically limit subsidies to designated geographic regions.
Such subsidies need to be “specific” under Article 2.2 of the Agreement on Subsidies (1994).
Some governments provide subsidies in the form of fiscal incentives like tax credits or as goods
or services other than general infrastructure. All forms of subsidies ensure a certain percentage of
profit or income to the farmers. Subsidies largely eliminate the risks associated with the
marketability of the commodity.
The Agreement on Subsidies addresses two main types of subsidies. Subsidies contingent
upon either export performance or use of domestic over imported goods are prohibited
(Agreement on Subsidies, 1994, Article 3). Such subsidies are prohibited because they are
specifically designed to distort international trade and are, therefore, likely to hurt other
countries’ trade (Agreement on Subsidies, 1994, Article 3). Subsidies with potential to injure or
seriously prejudice the domestic industry of another Member or affect the benefits accruing to
other Members are actionable. (Agreement on Subsidies, 1994, Article 2). In order for action to
be taken, the affected country must prove that the subsidy has adversely affected its interests.
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(Agreement on Subsidies, 1994, Article 5). Members, however, under Article 13 of the
Agreement on Agriculture, agreed not to take action against subsidies maintained on agricultural
products for a period of nine years beginning in 1995.
Some actionable and all prohibited subsidies cause the following injuries to international
markets. First, subsidies of an exporting country hurt the domestic industry of an importing
country (The Developmental Impact, 2002). As an illustration, suppose the country of Timbatu
compensates its wheat exporters up to $5 per unit of wheat sold. Timbatu exports wheat to
Utopia, where owing to the cost of production, farmers sell wheat at $6 per unit cost. Timbatu’s
farmers can price the wheat anywhere between $1 and $5 and still compete in Utopia’s market
because the government compensates up to $5. Understandably, consumers in Utopia would
prefer the imported wheat available at lower cost. Timbatu’s artificially lowered prices thereby
affect the sales of Utopia’s farmers.
Second, subsidies affect the ability of rival exporters from non-subsidizing countries to
compete in other markets (Developmental Impact, 2002). Assume, for example, that the
international price of rice per unit is $15, and that Timbatu’s subsidies compensate rice farmers
for losses up to $10 per unit sold. Timbatu’s farmers can export rice at the lowest artificial price
of $5 per unit. In turn, the Timbatu government compensates its farmers with subsidies. The
lowered cost of Timbatu rice will affect both the national and international markets of farmers
from countries other than Timbatu. That is, Timbatu subsidies will affect farmers from countries
intending to export to a country that imports from Timbatu. Therefore, Pragnolia, another rice
exporter, will be unable to compete fairly to export to Utopia, a rice importer. Pragnolia farmers’
commodities, even if fairly priced, will be expensive in Utopia’s market and in the international
market. The only way Pragnolia’s farmers can compete with Timbatu’s farmers is if the formers’
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government matches or beats the Timbatu subsidies. Thus, Timbatu subsidies effectively
eliminate or insulate Timbatu farmers from market risks. Timbatu’s subsidies prevent farmers in
other nations from fairly accessing the market without sustaining a loss until their own nations
are able to match the artificially lowered prices. Farmers from Timbatu, in turn, benefit from the
sales in the international market and are compensated by their tax payers.
By eliminating or insulating farmers from risks of the international market, subsidies
encourage overproduction of agricultural goods. In turn, agricultural trade in the international
market suffers due to overproduction of commodities by nations providing subsidies. If Timbatu
subsidizes income or price of rice exports, farmers tend to produce rice for international markets.
Excess availability of rice decreases the demand for rice in the international market and drives
down the prices. Thus, overproduction results in a decline of global rice prices (Developmental
Impact, 2002). In order to remain competitive in the international market, farmers from Timbatu
must further reduce the price for the commodity (rice) and in turn, seek the export subsidies.
Thus, export subsidies promote a vicious cycle. Slowly, such reduction may result in the export
price of Timbatu rice being lower than the price of rice in the national market. When a product’s
export price is below the selling price of the commodity in the national market, dumping results
(Agreement on Subsidies, 1994). Typically, dumping occurs when the export price of a
commodity sold, is less than the cost of production in the country of origin plus a reasonable
addition for selling cost and profit (Wealthy Countries' Trade Policies, 2003).
Export subsidies inevitably lead to dumping, resulting in unfair competition created from
artificially lowered prices, thus distorting domestic and world prices of commodities. Dumping
results in lowering the commodity prices and directly affects non-subsidizing nations or
countries unable to match the subsidies. Generally, export subsidies most affect nations that
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depend on agriculture, but are unable to match the richer nation subsidies. That is, when Timbatu
farmers sell their commodities at a lower price in the international market, other countries
procure these commodities for their local use at lower cost. Thus, Timbatu farmers dump their
excess rice on other countries. Timbatu’s dumped rice affects the marketability of the native rice
of the other countries. Less expensive foreign rice floods the markets of rice importers like
Utopia because it is cheaper than the domestic rice. Dumping affects the livelihood of farmers
who comprise a sizable section of the population in essentially agrarian countries, and in turn,
affects the economy. Although consumers may benefit from the lower rice prices, the economies
of countries dependent on agriculture suffer due to the inability of farmers to make the expected
returns. Thus, dumping resulting from the subsidies creates an important international trade
barrier in agriculture.
ii) Barriers from lack of plant variety protection. Next to subsidies, lack of plant variety
protection imposes the greatest barrier to agricultural trade. The trade distortions from lack of
PBRs occur when farmers infringe upon protected varieties, replant protected seeds or practice
brown bagging for future commercial re-plantation. Lack of plant variety protection results in an
economic cost to the breeder and to the developed world where such rights are prevalent. Since
developed nations protect plant varieties, issues arising from the lack of PBRs typically do not
affect developing nations. Monsanto’s experience in Argentina with Roundup Ready Soy
exemplifies developed nations’ concerns in this area. Roundup Ready Soy comprises over 95%
of the argentine soy crop (Innovest Group, 2005, 9). Monsanto, however, closed operations in
Argentina in 2004 due to lack of revenue generated as a result of inadequate plant varieties
protections (Innovest Group, 2005, 9). Few studies focus on distortions from lack of plant variety
protection per se although the Monsanto experience causes alarm in developed countries.
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While the impact of trade barriers from such flagrancies may seem catastrophic, the
overall impact is miniscule when compared to the impact from subsidies. In 1997, for example,
US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) and Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS) estimated the cost of foreign trade barriers to US agricultural exports at $5.8
billion annually (Becker, 1997). The projected sum included the impact on US agricultural
exports from both agricultural subsidies in other nations as well as from lack of plant variety
protection (Becker, 1997). Generally, the cost from developing nations misusing protected
varieties owing to the lack of PBRs has been minimal due to two reasons. First, subsidies
determine whether exports will occur; hence unauthorized protected varieties do not enter the
international market. Second, private market players do not operate in countries without plant
variety protection. Even in the few developing nations where such companies are established,
their presence tends to be limited. The preceding argument, however, discounts the international
market for lost exports to such non-PBRs national markets. That is, the non-PBRs nations
artificially prevent the demand in their markets from being reflected in the international market
resulting in international trade distortions. Rectifying these distortions, translates as benefits
from increased competition driving down the prices of essential commodities. Despite this, as
long as export markets remain closed to subsidies, the farmers in developing nations will be
unable to exploit the fullest potential of the local or international market. Hence, the benefits to
developing nations from introducing PBRs will be minimal as long the subsidies foreclose the
market for their products. Thus, in reality, rectifying the distortions has limited global benefit.
The opening of the market, however, will significantly benefit developed nations. Thus, in the
first place, most benefits of establishing PBRs regimes will accrue to the developed rather than
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the developing nations. Next, lack of PBRs has minimal effect on international trade (especially
when compared with the effect of subsidies discussed below).
Subsidies of developed nations, on the other hand, create far greater barriers in
agricultural trade for developing nations. Developed nations, including the United States spend
an estimated $300 billion per annum in subsidies (Developmental Impact, 2002). Developed
nation subsidies affect $40 billion worth of net agricultural exports per annum from developing
countries (Developmental Impact, 2002 & Martinez, 2003). In 1997, the loss to developing
countries from agricultural subsidies of the developed nations amounted to $24 billion (IFPRI,
2003). Annually, Latin America and the Caribbean alone lose $8.3 billion from loss of
agricultural trade (Wealthy Countries' Trade Policies, 2003). Asia’s loss per annum is estimated
at $6.6 billion, and sub-Saharan Africa’s at $2 billion (Wealthy Countries' Trade Policies, 2003).
The effect of subsidies on the agricultural trade of developing countries affects
international trade in agricultural commodities. The total amount of agricultural subsidies in
developed countries, at $300 billion per annum, represents approximately twice the global wealth
of all developing countries or six times the current annual level of total overseas development
assistance that developed nations provide to poor countries (Developmental Impact, 2002).
Elimination of the subsidies of developed nations would triple net agricultural trade in
developing countries. The estimated gains to all countries (both developing and developed) from
the elimination of subsidies and tariffs in developed countries are approximately $100 billion
(Rich Nations Need, 2003). Thus, developed nation subsidies create the maximum barriers to
international trade in agriculture. Subsidy barriers of richer nations far exceed those that the lack
of PBRs (and prevalence of subsidies) in developing nations generate. The decrease of global
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trade barriers by reducing or eliminating developed nations’ subsidies will indirectly improve the
economies of developing nations.
B) Plant Breeders’ Rights & International Trade Barriers
The following discusses how subsidies determine whether exports will occur and
establishes that developing nations cannot benefit from PBRs as long as trade barriers from
subsidies remain unaltered. Otherwise, introducing PBRs may adversely affect the status quo by
deteriorating the economic conditions of countries dependant on farming by imposing additional
costs on the farmers.
i) Effect on international and local market. The coexistence of plant variety protection
with trade distorting agricultural subsidies will adversely affect the market for farmers in
developing nations. The market will likely remain artificially foreclosed for varieties that richer
nations subsidize, thus preventing developing nations from reaping adequate economic benefits
even if PBRs result in promised benefits like high yielding or pest-resistant hybrids. If, for
example, Farmer A in Magnolia, a developing country, improves his yield by 40% by using
hybrid rice, Farmer A’s benefit from the extra yield accrues only if the yield is sold either in
domestic or international markets. In international markets, however, subsidies result in farmers
from developed nations dumping commodities below the cost of production. The dumping
directly affects the sale of Farmer A’s produce. Thus, Farmer A’s sales from the export market
will be affected as long as the subsidies of Magnolia remain lower than the subsidies of
developed nations. Thus, the introduction of plant variety protection will not fully benefit
farmers in nations that cannot match the subsidies of richer countries. Generally, however, the
economic conditions of developing nations prevent them from matching the subsidies of
developed nations. Moreover, nations borrowing from institutions like the World Bank and other
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international donors, typically developing nations, are encouraged to eliminate subsidies
(Developmental Impact, 2002). International institutions, however, exercise minimal influence in
developed nations to enforce corresponding measures. For example, India has reduced its
subsidies to an annual sum of $1 billion for its 110 million landholders, equivalent to just $9 (£6)
per year per farm (Developmental Impact, 2002). Conversely, every wheat farmer in the EU
currently receives a subsidy of approximately $53 (£35) per ton (Developmental Impact, 2002).
In the above example, Farmer A must recoup his cost of production from the local market
since the export market is closed on account of trade barriers from subsidies. Farmers, however,
from the richer subsidizing markets could not dump their goods in the export market in the first
place unless they beat the prices of farmers from non-subsidizing markets. The sale price of the
dumped goods is generally less than the fair price of local goods after taking into account the
cost of production. Goods thus dumped at lower prices in international markets are generally
procured for national markets. Competition from the dumped commodities adversely affects the
sale of Farmer A’s produce in the local market. Even if Farmer A sells at the cost of production,
he will be unable to compete with the dumped goods. Consequently, despite the higher yield,
Farmer A may be unable to sell the yield in either local or international markets. Thus, the
artificially deflated prices resulting from developed nations’ subsidies prohibit farmers in
developing nations from reaping the benefits of the higher yield. Furthermore, in a market
artificially deflated by subsidies, but open to PBRs, private sector players should be expected to
import commodities at lower cost from other subsidizing countries (Butler & Marion, 1985).
Food importation further aggravates the divide between the rich and the poor by elevating
poverty levels of farmers in poorer nations. Until the imbalances from agricultural subsidies are
removed, the status quo of the marketability of the produce of developing nations will remain
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unaltered. Hence, the presence and influence of subsidies limit the ability of plant variety
protection to contribute meaningfully towards improving the status quo.
PBRs proponents underplay the interaction between subsidies and plant variety protection
and the fact that subsidies drive export markets. Instead, PBRs supporters argue that at the very
minimum, farmers in developing nations can benefit from a higher yield. These arguments do not
take into account that the higher yield becomes inconsequential for farmers if they cannot sell the
proceeds to either reap the cost of production or earn a profit. As long as the markets remain
artificially deflated, the farmer will be unable to translate the higher yield into financial benefits.
Others argue that farmers can use the higher yield for individual use, which is an exemption
under Article 15 of UPOV. There is, however, only so much of the yield that a farmer can use for
individual purposes. Moreover, increased yield in one commodity by itself does not offset the
farmers’ need for finance to procure other (agricultural) products. For example, if a Farmer from
a developing country benefits from a higher yield of rice, that still does not discount the need for
monetary return for the farmer to purchase other necessary commodities or provisions.
Furthermore, farmers using their yield for individual purposes will limit economic activity within
developing economies. Farmers forced to use the higher yield for individual purposes, due to
lack of market, defeat the whole objective of introducing PBRs as an incentive to develop new,
“socially” beneficial varieties. Thus, if farmers are unable to sell their produce, developing
economies dependent on agricultural trade will not benefit from PBRs.
ii) Additional cost from PBRs. Notwithstanding the inability to benefit, developing
economies may in fact suffer a detriment from PBRs owing to the additional costs that become
applicable. Farmers in a PBR regime, where subsidies foreclose the markets, will face two new
additional costs. Taking the previous example, if the rice is unsold, Farmer A in Magnolia
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would be left with two costs with which he was previously unconcerned: a) the cost of storage,
and b) the cost of acquiring seeds for replanting.
PBRs generally prevent farmers from saving seed for replanting, even in their own
holdings. Although exceptions granting farmers the right to re-plant their own seed is optional
under UPOV, breeders will generally prohibit replanting use as part of the contract with the seed
buyers (1991, Art. 15(2)). The optional provision (UPOV, 1991 Art. 15(2)) allows farmers to
replant saved seeds to use for propagating purposes. The inbuilt safeguards of the optional
provision, however, limit farmers’ ability to replant saved seeds for commercial use. Hence, lack
of expected return or inadequate return from the market may force farmers to seek outside means
to finance replanting. If farmers benefit from the markets in the future, financing from debt
institutions works well. But as long as the subsidies prevail it is unlikely that farmers will profit.
Despite the higher yield, the long term effect of subsidies may actually increase household debts
and thus worsen the livelihood of farmers over a period of time thereby affecting economies
dependent on agriculture.
Another disadvantage to farmers is the increase in seed prices. Economic studies like the
Butler and Marion report, for example, point to increases in seed prices as one of the effects of
introducing PBRs (1985). The increase in seed prices is generally an inconsequential effect of
PBRs if the promised return from higher yield is fulfilled. Increased seed prices, however, work
as an additional burden for farmers from countries that developed nations’ subsidies affect
because the market for the farmers’ yield is artificially deflated.
Aggressive private sector behavior following PBRs’ introduction may cause further
suffering for developing nation farmers (Butler & Marion, 1985). The Butler and Marion Report
determines that PBRs’ introduction results in aggressive private sector behavior. Aggressive
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private sector behavior results in an increased flow of scientific information, including germ
plasm, from the public to the private sector (1985). The aggressive behavior may also translate
into attempts to protect varieties of germ plasm that are yet undocumented or not a subject of
PBRs using the loopholes in UPOV. As discussed in part I, such aggressive private sector
behavior may be detrimental to genetic diversity at all times. Furthermore, subsidies foreclose
farmers’ opportunities in local and international markets.
C) Working PBRs Alongside Agricultural Subsidies
Introducing PBRs before curtailing agricultural subsidies can contribute to, if not create
losses without any offsetting benefits. Introducing plant variety protection will not affect
international trade in agriculture positively so long as agricultural subsidies limit access to the
markets. Developing nations’ ability to benefit from PBRs depends on interaction with other
market mechanisms. In order for nations to benefit from PBRs, the impediments from
agricultural subsidies must be removed. Hence, developing nations should resist adopting the
TRIPS Article 27.3 requirement of establishing a plant variety protection regime until the
Agreement on Agriculture and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures are
implemented to reduce or eliminate the trade distorting subsidies of developed nations.
Two things are notable in this context. First, the transition period for adopting the Article
27.3 requirements expired in 2005. Similarly, Article 13 of the Agreement on Agriculture (AOA,
1994) detailing the subsidy reduction commitments applicable to developed nations and termed
as the “peace clause,” expired at the end of December, 2003. Developing nations should
highlight that the objective of introducing PBRs cannot be achieved until the Agreement on
Agriculture and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures are implemented to
reduce or eliminate the trade distorting subsidies of developed nations. Hence, as a precondition
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to adopting PBRs, developing countries should rightfully demand that developed nations fulfill
their commitments. Developing nations should highlight the legal vulnerabilities of the subsidy
program, either in the next round of WTO talks at Geneva or, alternatively, take the dispute to
the WTO Panel. Considering the transactional cost of the latter option (Steinberg & Josling,
2003) developing nations may seek a clarification on the PBRs’ requirement of Article 27.3 of
TRIPS similar to the clarification on public health. If developed nations want their protected
commodities to be introduced into the world wide market, then subsidies should be eliminated.
Developed nations cannot have the option of both subsidizing and exporting their commodities at
premium price.
Similarly, developing countries should consider adopting a differential monopoly term
depending on the economic development of the nation. In countries like Ethiopia, where access
to food remains a major problem, monopolizing food rights for twenty years deprives nations of
the very benefits PBRs are intended create. Alternately, countries wishing to adopt UPOV or a
similar regime should retain the right to compulsorily license PBRs in public interest or in
national emergencies to enable access to food. Countries that fear the consequential parallel
importation of food should seek appropriate undertakings from respective governments to avoid
such importation.
CONCLUSION
The UPOV Position Based on an Intervention in the Council for TRIPS (UPOV Position,
2000) details that:
[I]nternational harmonization in the protection of new varieties of plants is
essential. The introduction of a system which differs significantly from the
harmonized approach based on the UPOV Convention will raise questions
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with regard to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement . . . Should a
country introduce a system not compatible with the internationally harmonized
system based on the UPOV Convention, this might result in barriers to trade and
the transfer of technology. (UPOV Position, 2000)
The Position Statement indicates that TRIPS, (a) harmonizes plant variety protection by
designating UPOV, under Article 27.3, as the mandatory sui generis system, and (b) argues that
harmonization of plant variety protection is essential to reduce trade barriers and increase
transfer of technology (UPOV Position, 2000). The above sections establish that UPOV is
neither the mandatory nor the minimum standards for a sui generis system. Similarly, the
Position Statement premise that unless members adopt UPOV as the sui generis system,
technology transfer would suffer and international trade barriers would remain distorted, lacks a
proper basis. A PBRs regime not based on UPOV would not result in trade barriers, or even if
they did such barriers would not be inconsistent with TRIPS (particularly given the sui generis
authority in TRIPS Article 27.3). The premise that plant variety protection, harmonized or
otherwise, can contribute to reduction of international trade barriers in agriculture itself is
questionable. Because of the agricultural subsidies, plant variety protection regimes have limited
ability to reduce trade barriers.
Developing nations need to prioritize their national goals with a clear understanding of
the benefits and detriments before creating a PBRs regime. Unlike the case of pharmaceutical
patents, developing countries withstood pressures from the developed nations to push “an
expansive agenda” in the Cancun negotiations (Panagariya, 2003). The WTO meeting at Cancun
established a common ground for developing nations to seek international policies conducive to
their development (Panagariya, 2003). The Cancun meeting also signified a distinct change in
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bargaining power between the developed and the developing nations. By capitalizing on this
leverage, developing nations should seek further negotiations to maximize the benefits they
derive from introducing plant variety protection.
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Author’s Note
I would like to thank Professors Jay Kesan for giving me an opportunity to present the paper at
the Symposium. I want to thank Professors Jay Kesan, Jim Chen, Josh Sarnoff, Irene Calboli,
Charles McManis, Jayanth Krishnan and Drew Kershen for commenting on earlier drafts of the
paper. I would like to thank Andrew Peterson for helping me with various drafts of the paper.
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